Fall is the season for sweaters and … snagging sweaters. If you end up getting a snag, there’s a good and bad way to fix it.
The bad way is cutting it, which you absolutely don’t want to do. You might think that you’re getting rid of the pull, but over time, this area can develop a hole.
A better solution is to pull the snag to the backside of the garment, so that the thread is still intact, but the damage is invisible. There are several ways to do this:
- You can use a tool called a Snag Nab-It, which is basically a long needle with a rough end. Push it through your snag and the rough end will take it to the other side. I’ve used this successfully on knits and wovens (wovens meaning the non-stretchy material you find on dress shirts and trousers), but if your material is particularly fine or delicate, you might want to try another method.
- A gentler solution is to use a large sewing needle with a big eye. Couple this with a needle threader or some kind of thread, and use both to “catch” the snag as you pull the needle through. You can also use some thick embroidery or button thread, which you can wrap your snag on, and do the same thing. Remember, for something really delicate, go slow. It’s better to work this area a few times, rather than worsen the damage.
For the truly patient, you can use also a large blunt needle and try to tease the yarn back to its original place. Pull the thread through to the next stitch, and then the next, and then the next – dispersing the excess material evenly across the row. You want to work both sides of the snag, so that everything looks natural. This easier on large gauge knits, but it’s possible with fine ones as well. Once you’re done, steam the area and admire your work.